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Expertise

Competition and Regulation

Gilbert + Tobin’s Competition and Regulation Group is the pre-eminent competition practice in Australia. We consistently win complex and cutting-edge work because of our track record of achieving results on high-stakes transactions and litigation for our clients.

Competition law presents a real challenge to businesses. With an Australian regime that is particularly tough, and with international laws constantly in flux, competition is an area that can expose companies to risk, particularly when it comes to cooperative conduct between competitors and potential competitors. Businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions need to stay abreast of the competition legislation not only in their home countries, but also in the countries where their affiliates are based.

With eight partners, two special counsel and a large team of lawyers, Gilbert + Tobin’s market-leading competition practice is one of the largest in Australia, and we’re the go-to firm for international companies with interests here. With a sophisticated understanding of the interplay between law, economics and our clients’ commercial strategies, we can provide practical and strategic advice to assist our clients with their strategic objectives in compliance with competition laws.

The best competition/antitrust firm in Australia, with daylight second…They understand their clients’ drivers and needs and the team offers a consistent approach in delivering high-quality support."

Chambers Asia-Pacific, 2017

People

Luke Woodward

Practice head Luke Woodward is acclaimed by commentators as a "good thinker and strategist" and a highly capable litigator, with one client observing: "he's very impressive: we respect him and the regulators respect him."

On 4 December 2017 the Treasurer, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, issued Terms of Reference (ToR) to the ACCC, directing it to conduct an 18 month long public inquiry into the impact of digital platform services on the state of competition in media and advertising services markets, pursuant to s 95H(1) of the Competition and Consumer Act (CCA) (Inquiry). ACCC Chair Rod Sims has called this a "world first" inquiry of its kind into digital platforms that goes to “the heart of their business models”.

We are passionate about patents and embrace legal technology and innovations to provide clear, practical advice with a commercial focus. We specialise in patent litigation and we litigate to win, using novel strategies to deliver results.